Waste container with garbage bag retainer and reservoir

ABSTRACT

A waste container having a rigid or semi-rigid side wall is fitted with means to retain a trash bag therein which prevents said trash bag from sliding down into the receptacle during use. Said receptacle also has perforations in said side walls to allow the escape of trapped air from between said side wall and said trash bag. Said receptacle is also equipped with means which forms a reservoir for unused bags at the bottom of said receptacle, said reservoir means having an opening therein which allows the withdrawal of an unused trash bag without the necessity of removing said reservoir from said receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to trash bag receptacles and more particularly to waste baskets with retainers to prevent trash bags from slipping down inside said trash basket during use.

Plastic trash/garbage bags have become a staple for the storage and disposal of refuse largely because of their low cost, small storage space required until use, durability and decrease in maintenance requirements for waste containers.

One of the problems with trash/garbage bags when used in a rigid waste container is their propensity to slip down inside the container during use and, when first placed in the container to trap air between the bag and the wall of the container thereby substantially decreasing the available space within the bag until the trapped air is released, which can become a messy chore if the garbage placed in said bag is wet or sticky in nature.

To address these problems, there have been a variety of mechanisms developed. Some of these mechanisms are described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,728,996, “Adjustable Liner Retainer for Containers”, issued to Roscow, May 4, 2002; U.S. Design Pat. No. D484,660, “Flexible Bag Retainer”, issued to Robbins, Dec. 30, 2003, U.S. Pat. No. 6,808,073, “Bag Assembly”, issued to Cuisinier, Oct. 26, 2004; U.S. Pat. No. 6,824,005, “Lining Refuse Receptacle Devise, Kit and Method”, issued to Ashinhurst, Nov. 30, 2004, U.S. Pat. No. 6,843,453, “Bag Holder Assembly”, issued to Rogers, Jan. 18, 2005, U.S. Pat. No. 6,893,158, “Liner Retainer Device”, issued to Tipp, May 17, 2005; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,918,505, “Retainer for Liner Bag in Waste Receptacle”, issued to Gifford, Jul. 19, 2005.

While these inventions provide solutions, all leave some aspect of the problem of managing waste containers unsolved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a garbage or trash bag holder and unused garbage or trash bag storage facility within a waste or garbage can of common design. Within the context of this invention are contemplated plastic garbage or trash bags, but also any other flexible refuse holder which may be placed within a waste receptacle.

Within the preferred embodiment, the invention uses a garbage or trash receptacle which is adapted to receive a plastic bag retainer comprising a loop having substantially the same shape as the garbage or trash receptacle which passes over the outside of said container thus trapping the bag between the container and the trash receptacle. The receptacle is provided with an outwardly extending shelf which restrains the retainer from falling to the floor thus releasing the bag. The waste container is also provided with means to store unused plastic bags within the base of the receptacle below the bag currently in use in a manner that allows for ready retrieval and use of unused bags once the bag in use is full and ready for removal from the receptacle. Additionally the garbage or trash receptacle is provided with perforations through the wall thereof to allow the release of air trapped between the wall and the refuse bag.

In an alternative embodiment, a bag retainer is formed from a ring of semi rigid material which is congruent in shape with the waste container and designed to rest on top of said container. The alternative bag retainer has a downwardly extending skirt which is approximated to the inside of the wall of said waste container. The alternative bag retainer, like the ring of the preferred embodiment operates to trap the refuse bag between the retainer and the wall of the receptacle.

When the garbage bag is full, the retainer is removed from contact with the waste receptacle which allows the full bag to be removed and secured for disposal. Reaching into the hole in the storage facility located in the bottom of the waste container, one pulls the next bag from the supply contained therein, opens or inflates the bag in the common manner and folds it over the top of the container. The newly opened bag is then secured to the container by folding the open end over the top of the container and using the retainer as a securing means.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded side elevational view of the preferred embodiment with the waste container shown partly in phantom showing the bag reservoir in place at the bottom of the container.

FIG. 2 is a thin cross section of the top portion of the preferred embodiment taken along line 2-2′, but not showing the side wall of said container except at the point of section, showing a new or unused bag being put in place and in contact with the retainer in the preferred embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a thin cross section of the top portion of the preferred embodiment again taken along line 2-2′, but not showing the side wall of said container except at the point of section, showing a bag in place in the container with the bag retainer holding the bag in place and in contact with the bag retainer.

FIG. 4 is an exploded side elevational view of the alternative embodiment with the waste container shown partly in phantom revealing the bag reservoir in place at the bottom of the container.

FIG. 5 is an thin cross section of the top portion of an alternative embodiment showing a new or unused bag as it is being inserted into the waste container and the retainer being inserted into the container to hold the bag in place.

FIG. 6 is a thin cross section of the alternative embodiment showing a bag in place in the container with the bag retainer holding the bag in place and in contact with the bag retainer.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1-3, a preferred embodiment of the waste container, as shown in FIG. 1, waste container 1 comprises a continuous surface 101 having an inside wall 102 and an outside wall 103 forming a first opening 104 and a second opening 105 together with a bottom portion 106 sealingly attached to said first opening. Said bottom portion generally defines the shape of said waste container. Bag retainer 2 is shown in exploded configuration with respect to waste container 1. Bag retainer 2 comprises a rigid ring 201 generally conforming in shape to said second opening 105 and slightly larger than said second opening 105 to allow said rigid ring to slide over the outside of said container and down said outside wall 103. Said rigid ring 201 has an inner wall 202 and an outer wall 203 generally defining the thickness of said ring 201 in one dimension and a top wall 204 and a bottom wall 205 generally defining the thickness of said ring 201 in a second dimension.

The continuous surface 101 has a plurality of perforations 301a through said surface spaced in groups of perforations in close proximity to one another and a plurality of groups of said perforations, 301 a, 301 b spaced around the periphery of said continuous surface 101.

A bag reservoir 5 having a top 501 and a side wall 502, said top having a opening 503 therethrough, said top and side wall cooperating to both form a shape which is congruent to the shape of the waste container and slightly smaller than said container to allow said bag reservoir to nestle at the bottom of said waste container. Said top 501 and said side wall 502 further cooperating with said bottom portion 106 to form a void bounded on the outside by said top, side wall and bottom portion.

Referring now to FIG. 2, we see a partial cross section of FIG. 1, taken along the line 2-2′ but not including the end wall of the waste container 1 for clarity. Perforations 301 a, 301 b are shown in this cross section.

Slide arrester 601 is located in close proximity to second opening 105 and projects outwardly from outside wall 103 a distance approximately equal to the thickness of said rigid ring 201. The proximity of said slide arrester to said second opening 105 is at least equal to the thickness of said rigid ring 201 as defined by said upper wall 204 of said ring 201 and said lower wall 205 of said ring 201.

In use, a garbage bag, commonly manufactured from a plastic material is placed over said rigid ring 201 and the ends of the opening to said bag 701, 701 a are positioned to drape down the inside of said waste container 1. Said rigid ring is placed around the outside wall 103 of said container and into contacting relationship with said slide arrester 601. The closed end of said garbage bag 702 is then pushed into said waste container which is now ready for use, as is shown in FIG. 3.

Bag reservoir 5, when in place in the bottom of said waste container 1 provides space within said void in which to store unused garbage bags. The hole through the top 501 of said reservoir 5 allows an unused garbage bag to be pulled therethrough in preparation for placing said bag into use.

An alternative embodiment of the invention is presented in FIGS. 4 through 6.

FIG. 4 shows waste container 1 partially in phantom to show bag reservoir 5 in place. and partially exploded to show an alternative embodiment of the bag retainer 6.

Referring now to the cross section shown in FIG. 5., in the alternative embodiment, the top edge 107 of the waste container is rolled outwardly to form an inverted “U” shape 108, as is better shown in FIG. 5.

Alternative bag retainer 6 has a “U-shaped” upper edge 601 and an inner skirt 603 congruent in shape with the upper edge of waste container 1, and slightly smaller in size to allow said alternative bag retainer to both slide inside the waste container 1, for said upper edge 601 to be in close proximity to said upper edge 601, and said inner skirt 603 to be in close proximity to said inside wall 102.

In use, garbage bag B is pulled through the top opening 503 of bag reservoir 5 and expanded to an open condition. Bag retainer 6 is placed inside the opening of said garbage bag, as shown in FIG. 5, and pressed into the opening of waste container 1. The bag retainer 6 is pressed inside waste container 1 trapping the bag B between the two elements. The bag B is pressed down into said waste container 1, and said system is ready for use. 

1. A waste container comprising at least one surface having an inside wall and an outside wall forming a continuous shape having a first opening and a second opening; said first opening being sealingly attached to a bottom portion, the edge of said surface being in conforming relationship to the shape of said bottom portion; a bag retainer slidably located on said waste container; a bag reservoir comprising a wall with a top fixedly attached thereto, said top having an opening therethrough; said one surface having a plurality of perforations therethrough; a rigid bag retaining ring substantially conforming in shape to said second opening in said wall, and a slide arrester in close proximity to said second opening, said slide arrester extending outwardly from said outside wall of said surface sufficiently far enough to restrict movement of said bag retainer.
 2. The waste container of claim 1 wherein said bag retainer is conforming in shape and size to said second opening.
 3. The waste container of claim 1 wherein said bag reservoir forms a defined space between said bottom portion and said top of said bag container.
 4. The waste container of claim 1 wherein said side wall has a plurality of venting holes therethrough.
 5. The waste container of claim 1 wherein said retaining ring is of sufficient size to permit said retaining ring to slide on the outside of said surface from said second opening toward said first opening.
 6. The waste container of claim 1 wherein said slide arrester is located proximate said second opening.
 7. The waste container of claim 6 wherein said slide arrester extends sufficiently outwardly from said surface to prevent said bag retainer from sliding beyond said arrester toward said bottom portion.
 8. A waste container comprising: a. A wall formed from a continuous sheet of semi-rigid material having an inner surface and an outer surface forming a first opening and a second opening; b. A bottom portion conforming to the shape of said first opening and sealingly attached to said wall thereby closing said first opening; c. A bag retainer slidably located in said waste container, said bag retainer comprising a top having an opening therethrough and a skirt extending from said top forming a void space below said top; d. A bag retaining ring comprising rigid material which conforms to the shape of said second opening in said wall; and e. A slide arrester formed in the outer surface of said wall proximate said second opening.
 9. The waste container of claim 8 wherein said wall has a plurality of venting perforations therethrough.
 10. The waste container of claim 8 wherein said bag retainer has a hole through said top thereof having sufficient dimension to allow passage of a waste bag therethrough.
 11. The waste container of claim 8 wherein said slide arrester extends sufficiently outwardly from said wall to prevent said bag retainer from sliding along said wall away from proximity to said second opening.
 12. A bag retaining ring comprising semi rigid material having a substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners and dimensions sufficient to fit around the outside of a waste container of similar shape for the purpose of trapping a garbage or waste bag between said retaining ring and said waste container.
 13. A garbage or waste bag retainer comprising semi rigid material having substantially the same shape as a waste container having a single opening on the top thereof, an outwardly extending lip which fits congruently said opening and a skirt extending downwardly through said opening into said container.
 14. The combination of garbage or waste bag retainer and said waste container of claim 13 whose purpose is to trap a garbage or waste bag between said retainer and said waste container to prevent said garbage bag from slipping down inside said waste container.
 15. The waste container of claim 13 having perforations through the side thereof to allow the expulsion of air from between said container and said garbage or waste bag. 